The Charlotte Hornets have various needs to solve this summer, and one of them is their perimeter shooting, which they have addressed after drafting Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley in the first round. Charlotte still has two more picks to go, and it should probably focus on bringing a big to replace Mark Williams and a wing defender.
Some fans aren't too thrilled with the Hornets' haul. However, all things considered, the front office performed well, particularly after the team ranked near the bottom in 3-point shooting efficiency (33.9 percent) this past season. In addition, Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee are at the onset of establishing a new culture, and Knueppel and McNeeley appear to be great fits as promising sharpshooters and high-character youngsters.
The Hornets will have an entire day to evaluate the prospects still on the board. Hopefully, they find players who can fill the current holes on the roster.
Hornets need reinforcements at center and perimeter defense
Two teams will pick first in the second round before Charlotte is on the clock for two consecutive selections.
Perhaps any of Ryan Kalkbrenner and Maxime Raynaud, both big men, will still be available then.
Neither of them is expected to be capable of replacing what Williams brought to the table, although their heights, wingspans, and skill sets could be advantageous for the Hornets.
Kalkbrenner is more of a throwback center in that he is adept at interior finishing and blocking shots. He also has an underrated shooting touch that could help him provide other Hornets players more space than Williams could offer. The super senior from Creighton University has some issues rebounding the ball and might not be mobile enough to keep up with opposing perimeter players after switches.
On the other hand, Raynaud is a better shooter, rebounder, and passer. T The 22-year-old French big man's rim protection prowess could use some work, though, because of his low vertical and relative lack of strength.
Any of them would be a solid addition to the center rotation that currently consists of Moussa Diabate and Jusuf Nurkic.
The Hornets should also look for a perimeter defender, as their possible rotation pieces at the guard and wing spots include LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Knueppel, Josh Green, and Josh Okogie. Nick Smith Jr. and McNeeley are also expected to fight for minutes. Among the names mentioned, the injury-prone Okogie is the only plus-defender, while Green has been disappointing in that area during his first year with the squad.
Charlotte will probably still have several options when it is on the clock on Thursday evening, as the likes of Noah Penda, Adou Thiero, and Rasheer Fleming are still on the board. Those three are forwards who could have the potential to guard three to four positions effectively.
It remains to be seen what the Hornets do, but it's plain to see that they should target specific types of prospects instead of bringing in pieces whose archetype would be a redundancy on the roster.